The present invention relates to an adjustable portable stand for supporting an elongate instrument (such as a guitar) by its base in a generally upright orientation, and in particular to such a stand which compensates for any bilateral asymmetry in the instrument base so as to maintain the instrument in a generally upright orientation.
Portable stands for supporting an elongated musical instrument by its base in a generally upright orientation are well known in the art. Where the instrument is a guitar, bass or the like, the stand supports the elongate instrument in a generally upright orientation with its longitudinal axis generally vertical. On the other hand, where the instrument is a keyboard, xylophone or the like, the stand maintains the elongate instrument in a generally upright orientation with its longitudinal axis generally horizontal.
Typically, the stand comprises a multileg assembly including at least first and second vertically extending rigid legs disposed at a relative angle, with supports projecting outwardly from each of the legs for cooperatively supporting the base of the elongated instrument thereon. The multileg assembly may be either tripod-like, in which case there is also a third vertically extending rigid leg. Typically, the tripod-like multileg assembly is movable between a storage configuration, wherein all the legs extend generally parallel to one another, and a use configuration wherein all the legs extend at an angle to one another so as to provide a stable support for an instrument. Alternatively, the multileg assembly may include only the first and second legs disposed at a relative angle, with each of the legs having disposed at the free end thereof, opposite the junction of the legs, a stabilizing foot member extending transverse to a plane defined by both of the legs, thereby to provide a stable base for the assembly.
While such portable stands perform satisfactorily when used to support the more conventional instruments having a bilaterally symmetrical base--that is, a base or bottom end which is either symmetrical about its vertical longitudinal axis (like a violin) or flat (like a conventional keyboard)--they have not proven to be entirely satisfactory for use in conjunction with some of the newer instruments, and in particular the newer electrical instruments. As will be readily appreciated by those in the music industry, the latest electrical guitars frequently have a base or bottom end which is highly bilaterally asymmetrical, one side of the base extending greatly below the other side of the base. Keyboards also may have bases or bottoms which are not flat. When a conventional stand is used to support such a guitar, the longitudinal axis may be sharply tilted laterally to one side or the other and, depending upon the particulars of the instrument and the stand, the instrument may not be securely retained by the stand and there may even be a tendency for the stand and instrument as a unit to tip over. In the case of a keyboard intended to be played in a horizontal orientation, an asymmetrical base may result in the upper surface of the instrument being supported by the stand in a non-horizontal, tilted orientation unsuitable for playing thereof.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable portable stand for supporting an elongate instrument by its base in a generally upright orientation.
Another object is to provide such a stand in which the supports are independently adjustable in height relative to the assembly to compensate for any bilateral asymmetry in the instrument base and thereby cooperatively maintain the instrument in a generally upright orientation.
A further object is to provide such a stand which protects the instrument in the event that the stand falls forwardly in the direction of the instrument.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such a stand which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.